Education Assignment 13 - Child Abuse and Maltreatment: What Would You Do?

Vignettes: For each of the following, indicate what course of action you would take and explain the reason for your selection. 

1. Your student tells you that her stepfather has been touching her “private parts.”

2. You find two 4 year old boys in the bathroom of your classroom showing each other their genitals. 

3. A child in your classroom is dropped off by a parent who smells of alcohol and seems intoxicated most mornings. 

4. A child in your classroom regularly has unexplained burns and bruises. 

For each vignette, please choose from the following list and explain your answer:

• Report to authorities
• Report to school administration 
• Defer decision to report to school administration (i.e. director, school counselor).
• Wait for more obvious, clear, convincing evidence of abuse/ neglect.
• Speak to parent(s) or legal guardian.
• Speak to the child/children involved.